Truss



L. A. DEBT-HER.

(No Model.)

TRUSS.

No. 548,630. Patented Oct. 29, 1895.

ti il I Inventor. QZWQ a. Quiz j y Jam M14 XM I' IJW' UNITED: STATESPATENT LORENZ A. DEUTHER, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

TRUSS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 548,630, dated October29, 1 895.

' pp n fil d November 23,1393. Serial No. 491,728. (NomclieL) To allwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LORENZ A. DEUTHER, a citizen of the United States,residing in Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Hernial Trusses, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in hernial trusses, wherebythe construction of the truss is greatly simplified and is made easilyadjustable to fit difierent forms, all of which will be fully andclearly hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings,in which- Figure 1 represents a side elevation ofa truss, showing a single truss before being formed into shape for use.Fig. 2 is a top view of Fig. 1, showing the truss formed or bent intoshape for use as a single truss for one side. Fig. 3 represents a planor top View of a double truss made in accordance with my invention.Fig.4 represents a front perspective view of the truss shown in Fig. 3.Fig. 5 is a central crosssection through one of the hollow pads forminga portion of the truss, all parts beyond the section being omitted. Fig.6 represents a similar section through a pad of a slightly-differentform. Fig. 7 represents a front perspective view of a single trussadapted for use on one side only, somewhat similar in shape to thatshown in Fig. 2. Fig. 8 is an enlarged cross-section through. the bodyof a truss in or about line a (1, Figs. 1 or 4, all other parts beyondthe section being omitted. Fig. 9 represents a modified con struction ofthe pad end of the truss for receiving and holding an elastic pad.

Referring to the drawings in detail, 1 represents the body of the singletruss, 2 the front pad, and 3 the back pad. It will be noticed the rearpad is made in the form of a circle, but an elliptical or any othershape may be used. The front pad is made in a very different shape fromthe back pad, although they may sometimes be constructed both alike. Itherefore do not confine myself to any particular shape for the pads, asthey must be made to conform to the position and shape of the ruptureand the form of the person to which the truss is applied. The truss bodyand pads are all formed of one piece of sheet spring metal or othersuitable material, being first out out in a die and then stamped to thedesired shape.

The body of the truss is slightly rounded or convex on the inner side orconcave-convex, substantially as shown at 4 in Figs. 4 and 7, also insection, Fig. 8. This construction leaves the entire body of the trusshollow on the outside '7, the object being to round the inner sides ofthe body of the truss, so it will fit easily on the person to which itmay be applied. It also materially increases the strength of the spring,so that considerably-lighter metal can be used, thereby producing a verylight and comparatively strong truss, a very important advantage in adevice of this kind. The pads are also hollow on the outer side, but aremade deeper than the body of the truss, thereby making them sufficientlyconvex on the inner side. I have shown a section through two differentforms in Figs. 5 and 6.

In Figs. 1, 2, and 7 I have shown what may be termed a single truss,adapted to fit over one hip of a person, so as to cover and hold arupture on one side only. In a single truss like this the truss itselffits over the hip on one side of a person only, the front pad pressingand holding the rupture in place and the rear pad pressing against theback of the person. To keep this truss on and in place a strap 5 isattached in any well-known way to the back pad. For instance, it may beconnected by means of a small button 6 project ing outward,substantially as shown, a hole in the end of the strap allowing it to befitted onto the button, the opposite end of the strap being providedwith a series of small holes 8, substantially as shown in the strap 5 inFig. i, so that the end of the strap can be secured by passing any hole8 over the button 6, as shown in Fig. 2; but any other well-known deviceadapted for the purpose for either attaching or fastening the strap maybe used. The truss thus secured, it will be seen that while it isadjusted on one side or hip of the wearer the strap passes around theopposite side or hip, and. its ends are secured to the truss, as abovementioned.

In Figs. 3 and 4 I have shown a double truss constructed in the same wayof one piece of spring metal. In this instance the truss-body 1 passesaround both sides of the body of the person wearing it and is providedwith two front pads 2 only. At the back is a short outward bend 9, whichpasses over the spine without touching it.

Another object in hollowing the body of the truss longitudinally is toinsure lightness, with a sufficient strength of spring. A hollow body,substantially as above described, will give a much stronger spring thana fiat one of the same thickness or even thicker metal.

The truss as I have shown it is adapted to be worn either with acovering of leather put on in the usual well-known way or without acovering of that kind. It is very light in its construction, and beingmade of spring sheet metal adapted to be bent without breaking it maybeeasilybentto any shape that will adapt it to fit nicely to the form ofthe wearer. In this way a truss of the proper size can be readilyadjusted to suit the varying forms or ruptures of different persons.

It will be noticed by referring to Fig. 1 that the truss before it isformed into the required shape for use is out in a curve, so that whenformed the sides of the body will taper inward from the lower edgeupward. This construction gives it the proper form to fit and lieagainst the inclined sides of the hips of the wearer and makes the trussfit the person more easily.

In Fig. 9 I haveshown a modified construction of the front pad end ofthe truss, showing a suitable means for securing an elastic pad thereto,if required. 10 represents a narrow nearly-surrounding flange, withinwhich an elastic pad of any well-known construction may be set and theflange l0 turned over the outer edges of the elastic pad and therebycause it to be rigidly and securely fastened in place. In this instancethe pad-holding portion is provided with an opening 12, the object beingto leave an opening at the back of the elastic pad, so as to leave itfree from any obstruction or any unyielding portion at the back. Thisconstruction is only necessary when a water-cushion or other soft orelastic pad is required to be attached to the truss.

In Fig. 4 I have shown the metallic pads provided with a series of fineperforations 13. If desired, the whole face of the pad may be thuscovered with fine perforations. In some cases this construction may berequired, but the plain concavo-convex sheet-metal pad, substantially asheretofore shown and described, answers a good purpose.

I claim as my invention- A hernial truss having concavo-convex pads anda connecting band curved in cross section so as to present along itsentire length a transverse hollow outside and a rounded surface on itsinner side, the whole formed of one integral piece of sheet metalsubstantially as described.

LORENZ A. DEUTIIER. Witnesses:

CHARLES STODDART, JENNIE M. CALDWELL.

